Taking care of down there.
Squats, lunges and sit ups all get a lot of airtime, which is why our legs, butts and abs are pretty covered by numerous workouts. But what about the other areas of our body that get neglected? Forget your glutes, we're talking about your pelvic floor – an essential muscle that frequently gets skipped.
It seems we're all pretty awkward when it comes to talking about an area that, as Miranda from Sex And The City explains, "helps you stay tight down there", but it's a topic that could benefit from some loud, shameless conversations... Enter our fave over-sharer, Kourtney Kardasian (every friendship group needs one).
The article by her team on kegel (or pelvic floor) workouts calls on the advice of top health experts to guide women through the correct way to kegel – which if you're not already talking about it with your mates, you should be.
Why is it important? The kegel muscles, otherwise known as the pelvic floor muscles, are the muscles that support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, bowl and, in women, the uterus. The muscles stretch from back to front (from the coccyx to pubic bone) like a trampoline, and having a strong set will stand you in good stead for a number of pretty fundamental functions including peeing, childbirth and sex.
Engaging the pelvic floor muscles lifts the internal organs, tightening the sphincter muscles which in turn tightens the opening of the vagina, anus and urethra. When we relax, we are able to pass through our wee, poo and gas.
They're also important for sexual function in men and women. In men, strong pelvic floor muscles help with erectile function and in women, they can contribute to sensation during sex.
That's not all - the muscles are vital during pregnancy to support the baby while in the uterus and play a big role during the birth itself, as Tania Boler, founder of smart pelvic floor trainer Elvie, found out. "I’ve worked in women’s health my entire professional life, but I’d never heard of my pelvic floor until I was pregnant with my first child," she says. "I was shocked that incontinence and pelvic floor issues affect such a large percentage of women in the UK."
According to Tania, pelvic floor muscle training improves symptoms of stress urinary incontinence in up to 70% of cases and increases the chance of an improvement in prolapse stage by 17%. "Every woman who wants to feel stronger from the inside, improve and maintain their bladder control, sexual sensation, or reduce back pain can benefit from regular effective Kegel exercises. They really should be part of every woman's daily routine."
So what exactly *is* pelvic floor training and how do you do it? Luckily, it couldn't be more simple. All you have to do, is tense the muscles as if you were really trying to hold in a poo. Hold and repeat.
If you're struggling to stay motivated, there are also a selection of new devices that can help you to workout properly and track your progress. "The Elvie Trainer pairs a sleek, easy-to-use device with an app that visualises your workout in real time and allows you to view your workout history and progress over time," says Tania.
Either way, there's no time like the present to get cracking. We're doing our kegels right now...
Written by Lottie Winter.
This article originally appeared on Glamour UK.
